Archive for July, 2011

Globe Telecom Mobile Internet Charges Gone Overboard!

Wednesday, July 27th, 2011

 

One of the things that I love about my iphone is its easy accessibility to my email and social networking sites. But since free wifi is not always available, I requested Globe Telecom to activate mobile internet services in my account. So after 30 minutes of trying to connect to a Globe Customer Service Representative a.k.a. a ‘real’ person I can talk to, my mobile internet is up and running. As per the CSR, I can activate and deactivate this service by simply typing internet.globe.com.ph under Cellular Data option and erasing it when I am done browsing.
So on rare occasions, I utilize this option. I make sure that I ‘shut’ it off right away because I know that not doing so will result in grave consequences. But of course, being the forgettable human that I am, I slipped. One dire day, I got a text from 290 saying that my unbilled charges are now Php2000++! Right there and then, I checked my phone and to my dismay, I forgot to erase the darn url address. With a heavy heart, I immediately disabled it. About 5 or 6 days after, I got another text saying that my unbilled charges are now Php3000++! And I was like, ‘huh’… how could that be? I practically wasn’t even using my phone anymore (I was subscribed to Globe’s Unlimited call and text to other Globe subscribers).
I called 211 again and after what looked like hours of waiting, a CSR answered my call (this is actually one of the things that I hate about Globe—but I will be writing about this in a separate post). I immediately complained- stating how in the world can my already huge bill get even bigger in a few days, and how could it even get bigger even if I have already deactivated it? The CSR said that it is possible that the Globe signal kinda gets mixed up with the wifi we have at home and in school… He says that I can complain about this once I get my billing. I also immediately requested that my mobile internet be disabled as soon as possible.
What a hard lesson to learn– especially for me because I really try my best to not go over my 1k budget for mobile charges.  Heck, anyway, I wish my story could help other people to not commit the same mistake.  In my case, I would have to settle for free wifi for now…

Posted in Crazy Ramblings, Uncategorized | No Comments »

A Fledgling Chef’s Easy Oatmeal Cookies Recipe

Monday, July 18th, 2011

I am no chef- more so a baker. Heck, one of the things that my mommy used to mock me about is my inability to cook. It is only now that we’ve moved out that I am forced to hold the spatula. Yep, my current situation plus my penchant for cooking shows like Top Chef (also where I got my baby Padma’s name), Masterchef, and Hell’s Kitchen kinda inspired me to venture through this unfamiliar territory. And so far, I am loving it.
Good thing I have Google to help me throughout this ordeal. Technology is amazing really because it offers cooking lessons for free- therefore highly preferable as opposed to me enrolling in a culinary school where a 5-month course can cost me at least Php50,000!
Anyways, my first ever baking experience involved these small packages of Quaker’s Instant Oatmeal Flavor Variety. Some relatives from Canada sent us tons of these and since we are not huge fans of oatmeal, they just sat there in the refrigerator for many days. Then came the day when my husband told me to make something out of them. So I thought I could make cookies and right there and then, googled an oatmeal recipe that wouldn’t be so technical for an unskilled person like me to understand. I found one and after a little modification, came up with the recipe below…
Oatmeal Cashew Cookie Recipe
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups quick cooking oats
1 cup chopped cashews
*Remember that I had with me tons of Quaker’s Instant Oatmeal in DIFFERENT FLAVORS(apple & cinnamon, brown sugar & maple, original, etc..). My dilemma was putting them all in one cookie recipe without ruining the taste. So what I did was to SIFT the oatmeal first to remove all their flavorings. Then I correctly measured them all to make 3 cups. I felt that my oats had tons of cinnamon flavor in them that’s why I omitted the ground cinnamon ingredient from my recipe. After prepping all of these ingredients, I am ready to roll.
1. I preheated the oven to about 160 degrees Celsius.
2. Then I mixed together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until fluffy. Next, I put the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. I then combined the flour, baking soda, and salt. I mixed in the cashew nuts. Right about this time, the batter looks a bit runny but I just let it be.
3. I rolled my batter so they looked like huge sausages and placed them in the chiller.
4. After about an hour, my cookie dough stiffened so I got one, sliced them and placed them in a baking pan (I do not have a cookie dish so what I did was to turn the baking pan over to mimic a cookie sheet).
5. The cookies should be evenly spaced, taking into consideration the fact that they will still be getting bigger during the baking process.
6. After about 20 minutes, your cookies will be cooked and ready.
I loved the cookies because they were so chewy. I kinda let it sit in the oven after the baking time because I love the added crunch brought about by the browning of the cookie. This recipe yielded around 30 cookies so it was great, actually… not bad for a trying hard baker like yours truly!

Posted in Crazy Ramblings, Mommy Thingies, Whims and Wants | No Comments »

My Dooney and Bourke Purse

Sunday, July 17th, 2011

I am not ashamed to say that I am a sucker for designer bags. I love them, I even dream about them (pathetic I know haha)… Glad to know I am not alone because most of my friends share the same bagaholic symptoms. It was like 5 years ago when I started investing in high-end bags. However, my limited purchasing power allowed me to only buy a few. These bags are stashed neatly inside a glass cabinet- awaiting that special occasion where they can go out and be rightfully showcased to the world.
Lately I have been having feelings of regret since I really am not fully enjoying the benefits of these bags. I mean, my life is practically work and home- with work being as simple as going to school and dealing with little preschoolers who obviously do not have any inkling as to what purses are.
This dilemma made me consider getting pretty but less costly bags. Specifically, I turned my attention to Longchamps. My Longchamp is ideal for everyday use… It is roomy and beautiful in its own special way. Most importantly, I regard it as my ‘rain’ bag since I can use it on a rainy day without worries. I only have one simple Longchamp bag that’s why I was scouting for another one since I was starting to love it. Before I even got the chance to buy one my good friend recommended a Dooney for an everyday bag.
Dooney and Bourke is an established brand in the US. Initially, I wasn’t much interested because I have associated Dooney bags with psychedelic designs and vibrant colors, which are not really my taste. However, all these perceptions vanished as I saw the bag that was offered to me. I loved it right away because of its appealing but subtle design.
So I bought the bag using the money that was supposedly meant for a new Longchamp.
Here are the reasons why I love my Dooney.
1.) It has a funky and cool design but in a subdued way.
2.) It is roomy- ideal for mommies like me!
3.) It is comfortable to use! The straps have the right length and width and sit nicely on my shoulders.
4.) It is not so ordinary, like Longchamps are nowadays.
For now, I feel happy to wear a bag that is to my liking- beautiful and convenient. I don’t feel sad anymore about my other bags in the cabinet because I know they will have their own time to shine soon…

Posted in Bag Love, Crazy Ramblings, Uncategorized, Whims and Wants | 2 Comments »

Breast Pump Review: Unimom Allegro

Friday, July 8th, 2011

I’m going to go straight to the point- Unimom Allegro Breastpump made me love breastfeeding all the more!

Unimom Allegro Breastpump easily fits the criteria for BEST breastpump.  It is powerful, portable, and most importantly, affordable!  This breastpump costs about 4000 pesos- a definite turn on considering the fact that you can even convert it to dual pumping.  I guess, its low cost is undoubtedly one of its major attractions.  Honestly, I do not understand why bigtime brands out there need to jack up their prices to the detriment of working mommies who only want to provide the best milk for their kids, while they are away.  I mean, if these manufacturers honestly advocate breastfeeding, shouldn’t they at least come up with better products at friendly costs? Thankfully, a Korean company named Unimom considered the dilemma of tight-budgetted mommies like me and came up with a great product!

I love the Allegro!  I can bring it with me anywhere and it’s not a burden at all because it is very light.  Also, you can use 4 AA batteries if ever you need to pump while travelling. However, the Allegro is not meant for heavy use- which I realized soon enough because it suddenly broke down.  I did not worry though because it was still under warranty (3 months warranty from babymama) and thankfully, the pretty seller (who is also my breastfeeding counselor) easily replaced the item.

If you will be pumping heavily (like for example you have a longer work sched and you need to pump every 3hours), it is better to get a hospital-grade pump.  Which I did…;-)  Now I have a new Unimom- this time the Forte, and it’s been a harmonious relationship ever since!

 

 

Posted in Breastfeeding, Mommy Thingies, Uncategorized | 2 Comments »